• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

JREF Conservatives: Jon Hunstman?

Toontown said:
Huntsman is so far back I can't even hear his hoofbeats, so it is irrelevant how 'sane' he may be. Besides, if Huntsman can't make an impression against a bunch of dumb Republitard candidates, how would he ever stand up to Obama?
Click to expand...

I don't think you understand. Hutsman doesn't stand a chance because the RNC won't support him, just like they won't support Christie Whitman, and pulled the rug out from under Millicent Fenwick by lying outright about her in the primary.
 
JoeTheJuggler said:
I've said this on other threads, but I think Huntsman only appears reasonable by contrast to the other GOP candidates. In any other age, his economic plan (especially his proposal of a major tax overhaul) would be seen as radically extreme.
Click to expand...

I don't think he's a moderate, per se, but I do think he's grounded in reality, which is something I don't think can be said about the other candidates. The last GOP administration was marked by appointing people like Michael Brown, who had no business running a national disaster agency, and Monica Goodling, who had no business being a deputy director of the DOJ. Or even the young kids Bush put in charge of the provisional authority in Iraq.

I can see that kind of stuff happening under Mitt or Gingrich. Huntsman would staff those spots with qualified wingnuts, instead of unqualified ones. I think that's a plus.
 
I was pretty impressed with Huntsman. Why is he not rated as well as Cain and Bachmann? He's clearly much more sensible.
 
Unabogie said:
I don't think he's a moderate, per se, but I do think he's grounded in reality, which is something I don't think can be said about the other candidates. The last GOP administration was marked by appointing people like Michael Brown, who had no business running a national disaster agency, and Monica Goodling, who had no business being a deputy director of the DOJ. Or even the young kids Bush put in charge of the provisional authority in Iraq.

I can see that kind of stuff happening under Mitt or Gingrich. Huntsman would staff those spots with qualified wingnuts, instead of unqualified ones. I think that's a plus.
Click to expand...

That´s the thing with Huntsman... if he ran, the bulk of the electorate could choose between two politicians proposing solutions for the country´s problems, one of whom they more or less agreed with, the other of whom they disagreed with - rather than between a guy you may or may not agree with, and a raving nutcase.
 
Unabogie said:
I don't think he's a moderate, per se, but I do think he's grounded in reality, which is something I don't think can be said about the other candidates.
Click to expand...

I don't pretend to know anything about his sanity, but I remember how last election Obama's campaign promise not to raise taxes on anyone earning less than $200K (or whatever it was) was taken as nearly as risky as George H.W. Bush's "read my lips" pledge. Huntsman is proposing a wholesale reform of the tax system (including the elimination of ALL capital gains taxes and taxes on dividends).

I just think claims of his sanity need to be tempered with reminders that he is far from a moderate. In most election cycles, proposals this extreme would make people question a candidate's grasp of reality.
 
JoeTheJuggler said:
I don't pretend to know anything about his sanity, but I remember how last election Obama's campaign promise not to raise taxes on anyone earning less than $200K (or whatever it was) was taken as nearly as risky as George H.W. Bush's "read my lips" pledge. Huntsman is proposing a wholesale reform of the tax system (including the elimination of ALL capital gains taxes and taxes on dividends).

I just think claims of his sanity need to be tempered with reminders that he is far from a moderate. In most election cycles, proposals this extreme would make people question a candidate's grasp of reality.
Click to expand...

His policy is effectively the Simpson Bowles plan with few exceptions, removal of the capital gains tax being one of them.
 
Newtons Bit said:
His policy is effectively the Simpson Bowles plan with few exceptions, removal of the capital gains tax being one of them.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it's very close to the same.

Hunstman's tax overhaul is designed to be revenue neutral while Simpson-Bowles is designed to increase revenues by $100 billion.

Hunstman would repeal Obamacare, while S-B relies at least on keeping important parts of it and even suggests reconsidering the public option.

Huntsman would privatize Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Mostly, though, Huntsman wants to undo significant regulation, most alarmingly of the financial sector. He would even undo the regulations designed to prevent another Enron scandal. He would scale back the EPA, FDA, and so on.

S-B would fix social security by raising the payroll tax and raising the retirement age. I haven't found any mention of Social Security in Hunstman's proposal which seems like a major omission.
 
jnelso99 said:
Problem is, they're going to have to do something to try to appeal to anybody but their "base" once the real Presidential debates start...
Click to expand...

The sign for the end of the primary is when the winner starts backpedalling.
 
Last edited:
Undesired Walrus said:
So I'm fairly certain that the conservatives on this forum are not particularly interested in social conservatism and have no time for religion in politics. So my question is: Jon Hunstman, is he your preferred candidate for 2012? If not, why not?

Even though I disagree with much of what Huntsman believes, I can see that he would make a better President than any of the other Republican candidates. It's nice to see a candidate who makes a lot of his experience rather than go for this tired 'outside the beltway' popularism.
Click to expand...

No, you cannot.

What you've done is simply fallen for the "most liberal", AGW-believing, CAP and Trading, and in many other ways, big government socialist-democratic republican candidate.

Mull this over. Huntsman's money is from his dad, and who is his dad's best friend?

Glenn Beck.

Now are you still excited about Huntsman? Because if you are, then I would say that you honestly are excited about the guy and his messages.

Me? I don't think he or Romney can solve the country's fiscal problems because of their attitudes.

But any of this could be proven wrong by turns of events.
 
mhaze said:
Mull this over. Huntsman's money is from his dad, and who is his dad's best friend?

Glenn Beck.
Click to expand...

And Beck once had Leeza Gibbons on his show, who was in "He Said, She Said" with...KEVIN BACON!

Which means, obviously, that Kevin Bacon is supporting Jon Huntsman.
 
mhaze said:
No, you cannot.

What you've done is simply fallen for the "most liberal", AGW-believing, CAP and Trading, and in many other ways, big government socialist-democratic republican candidate.

Mull this over. Huntsman's money is from his dad, and who is his dad's best friend?

Glenn Beck.

Now are you still excited about Huntsman? Because if you are, then I would say that you honestly are excited about the guy and his messages.

Me? I don't think he or Romney can solve the country's fiscal problems because of their attitudes.

But any of this could be proven wrong by turns of events.
Click to expand...

So... Huntsman has different views than his dad's best friend. Other than the fact that Huntsman has integrity to not allow his politics to be influenced by his father's best friend, what exactly does this mean?
 
Newtons Bit said:
So... Huntsman has different views than his dad's best friend. Other than the fact that Huntsman has integrity to not allow his politics to be influenced by his father's best friend, what exactly does this mean?
Click to expand...

Hey, I'm just informing you of some things. take it where you want. If you want to conclude he's his own man, with his own ideas, fine. If you want to decide he's an braindead stooge of an evil puppetmaster, fine.

I'm just watching the show and commenting.

:)
 
JoeTheJuggler said:
Is that based on Huntsman's positions or proposals, or just the fact that he's not one of the other candidates?
Click to expand...

Partially both, I really couldn't see myself voting for any of the others besides Romney.

I think Huntsman is the most socially liberal and would support gay marriage, he has already stated he supports civil unions. His expertise on China and willingness to look at financial reform appeals to me.

I like the fact he seems grounded, is open to compromise and doesn't let his party lead him around by the nose.

Admittedly I don't know everything about him or his political views, I can only go by what I've read and seen, that being his 60 minutes piece, CNN spots and Canadian newspapers, but from what I've digested so far, he'd be my first choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom